Clutch.



W. H. CAMERON.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY 10, 1911.

1,031,240. Patented July ,2, 1912.

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WZ'TJV'E'SSEEI' L ZTENTUR.

C3. 2. amma! W W. H. CAMERON.

CLUTCH.

21110111011 FILED JULY 10, 1911.

1,031,240. Patented July 2, 1912.

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WYTNEssEs' zNT/ENTUR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM Hi. oaMERo v, or TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOIR. To THa WILLYs-Q ERLAND COMPANY, or TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 10, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912. Serial No. 637,729.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM H. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, and 'a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new.

1'5 My invntion relates to friction clutches, and particularly to clutchesof the class especially adapted and intended for use in automoblles, but is .not restricted to such use as j it may be used in any connection for which it isapplicable. A

' The object of my invention is the provi- .sion of an improved clutch of this character, which is capable of having the spring gripping tension of its clutch members easily and. quickly adjusted by novices or persons not skilled in the adjusting of such parts, and which is also provided with means ,for eliminatin a jerking action or sudden -"ta-king hold of the clutch parts during an ,30 engaging'of the same, a feature which is incident to the clutches of this character comm'only-used, said means also providing an easy 'actingclutch to facilitate itsuse by womenand children.

Jae The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while in its broader aspect it' is capable of embodiment in numerous. forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which, a

' 7 -Figure 1 is asection of the clutch embody- ,ing my invention taken on the line a: w 1n Fig. 3 with the clutch parts in full engage-.

ment. Fig. 2 is a similar section. thereof with the'movable clutch member only partially broken away and out of full engagement with its companion -member. Fig. 3 1s an inner side view of the clutch with a portion'broken'away, and Fig. 4 is a face v1ew of the thrust spider for the clutch springs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates, in the present instance, the drive member {and 2the'driven' member of the clutch, which are respectively. secured in any suitable manner toaxially alining relatively rotatable shaft sections 3 and 4.

The clutch member 1 is. shown as being bolted to a flange 5 on the shaftsection 3, and has its rim or peripheral portion laterally flanged and provided with the inner conical clutch surface 1*, as isxcommon in clutches of thistype. The clutchmember 2, which is the movable member, is fixed to the inner end of the shaft section 4, as by being screwed to a flange 6 thereon, and has a longitudinally sliding fit on the inner end portion 3* of the shaft sectionB, a bearing bushh1g7 being preferably interposed between the two.- The rim portion of the clutch member 2 is of conical form to adapt it to fit within and coact with the conical clutch surface of the member-'1, and is faced with lcatheror other suitable material 8, as is common in clutches of this class.

The clutch members are yieldingly held in engagement by the action of a set of coiled expansion springs 9,which are disposed on the outer side of the members 2 and have their inner ends thrust against said member andtheir outer ends thrust against adjusting nuts 10 on bolts 11, which bolts project through the springs and web or spoke portion of the member 2 and are securely attached at their inner ends to a spider 12, which is rotatably anchored -to the clutch member 1. The thrust of the spider 12 is in the direction of the member 2, as is apparent, and is sustained by a set of ballbearings 13, which have their outward b'ea-r-,

ing against an annular flange or thrust col lar 14 that is carried by a tubularpart 15 projecting from the shaft flange 5 and en-' circlin'g a portion of the drive shaft part 3%" lVhile theconstruction ofthe clutch above described is generally old, a feature of my invention in connection with the same consists in mounting the spider 12 for'universal movement-s relative to the fixed member 1- of the clutch to facilitate an adjusting of the tension of the clutch springs 9 and to prevent an uneven engaging of the clutch members should the adjustment besuch as -to makethe tension of one spring greater than another, thus obviating one of the very objectionablefeaturesincident to this class 'of clutches. ,To accomplish this the center opening of the spider 12 is larger than the tubular part 15 which it encircles to, permit it to have free oscillatory movements relax-- tive to such part. and the outer marginal wall of such opening is dished orannularly concaved', as at 16, to adapt it to cooperate with an annular male member 17, against which it has its thrust, to form a ball and socket joint, said member 17 being interposed between the spider 12 and the ball bearings 1.3. It is thus apparent that the spider 12 is not only permitted to rotate freely with the clutch member 2 relative to theclutch member 1 to which it is anchored. but is also permitted to have free universal pivotal movements upon its thrust part to accomodate itself to a differential tension ing of the clutch springs 9. This feature is found in practice to be of the utmost impm'tance in the, practical and efficient run ning of a clutch of this character as no special care need be taken to secure a like adjustment of the tension springs. and any novice can easily and quickly effect such adjustment without the assistance of an eX- spring pressed plungers l8 at spacedintenvals around theperiphery of the clutchpert. The need of an easily and simply adjusted clutch of this nature is frequently felt, especially incountry driving. as an adjustment which would be suflicient for city or normal drivingiwould not be suflicient to prevent a slipping of the clutch members when subjected to an extraordinary 'load,

such as the climbing of a steep hill. the pulling out of a ditch, deep rut,.or the like. In

such'case, with the present invention, it is a simplematter to turn the nuts 1.0 on the bolts 11 to effect atightening of the tension of the springs 9. Should one nut be turned more than the others the spider 12 will automatically adjust itself to equalize the tension of the several springs upon the clutch member 2." v

In the construction of clutches of the character described it is commonto provide member Q-f r acting agalnst the facing 8 thereof. for .normally holdin-g the same radially extended at the points of contact of the plungers therewith; said extendedportions serving to first take hold of the mem: her 1 when the member 2 is movinginto engagement therewith. 'fThe' plungers. 18 when retracted seat awithin' registering countersinks in the periphery of the member- '2 and have stems 19 projecting in- 'war dlytherefrom and Working through registering openings inthe'bases of spring sockets 20 on the'rim of the member 2.

'Coiled compression springs 21 encircle the stems. 19 Within said sockets and have their opposite ends thrust against the bases of' the sockets and the plungers to normally influence an outward projectionfof the plungers, as ShOWllln Fig. 2. In the use of these spring actuated 'plungers it has been the practice, so far as Iain aware,.to-l1m1t taking hold of the clutch part: to. cause a strong tensioned springs to be. usedto hold the plungers 18 projected with sufficient force to cause a smooth and steady starting; of a car when the clutch members are men.

ing into engagement, and before the movable member has reached the limit of its en-r. gaging movement, I provide stop-pins or other suitable means. on the stems--19 without the inner ends of the sockets 520 to coact therewith to limit the out ard 'iilovements of the plungers. With the muv0- ments of theplungers limited in this manner it is found preferable in practice t springs 21 of suflicient tension to ex pressure of approximatelyeight -c pounds upon each plunger, thus causing thecombined strength ofthe springs 21 and 9 to exerta very powerful clutching action upoi the clutch members. s i

It is found in practice that the provi ion of strong tensioned springs for the plungers 18 has many advantages over the use of weak springs, such as it has heretofore been necessary to employ, principal among them being the ease and smoothness with which the "clutch members take hold in the starting of a car and the complete elimination of the' objectionable jerking action which is usually incident to the starting. of a car unless extreme care be exercised to permit a very slow and'gradual engaging of the clu-tchmembers. With the present construction av sudden unrestrained engag; ing of the clutch members may be permitted without danger of stripping the gears or twisting the driving axle of the machine. the plungers 18 acting to cause a gradual steady starting of the machine.

It 'is' apparent that I have provided certain improvements in friction clutches of the conical type which materially enhance the value of the same for use in motor driven vehicles.

'I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction or arrangement of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.-- ."Having thus describedmy inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is, I

1. In a clutch, two clutch. members. and

adjustable means yieldingly connecting said members to influence a normal engaging of the same, said means being automatically operable to equalize the adjustment of the yielding parts thereof.

9. In a clutch, two clutch members,means influencing a normal engaging of said members and having a plurality of adjustable spring pressure parts, said means being antomatically operable to equalize the pressure of said p'arts upon the members irrespective of the adjustment thereof.

3. in a clutch, two relatively movable frictionally engaging clutch members, means 'rotatably earried'by one member for universal pivotal movements relative thereto, and yieldable connection between said means and the other of said members to influence a normal engaging of said members.

4. In a clutch, a set of relatively movable 'frictionally coacting clutch parts, a member rotatably anchored to one of said parts for tree universal oscillatory movements relative thereto, and a plurality of adjustable yielding connections between said member and the other of said clutch parts to cooperate with said member to influence a normal engaging of the clutch part.

5. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable frictionally eoacting clutch parts, a spider having a ball and socket ball bearing thrust against a part of one of said members in the direction of the other member, and a plurality of adjustable spring connections between said member and the other of said parts to influence a normal engaging of the clutch parts.

6. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable parts having coat-ting conical clutch surfaces, :1 member rotatably anchored to one of said parts, stems projecting from said member through the other of said parts, nuts threaded to said stems without said other part, and coiled compression springs encircling said stems with their ends thrust against said nuts and part through which the stems project. said member being automaticall ad ustable relative to its -arry1ng member to equalize the tension ot said springs upon the coacting member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CAMERON.

Witnesses C. W. Ownx,

E. E. THOMAS. 

